No doubt many of you are driving around in a car that features start/stop technology. The feature that kills the engine every time you pull up at a set of lights for example. Given I drive a new model of car every week in my role as Motoring Editor for EFTM, I can assure you it’s now rare to NOT have this tech onboard.
Additionally, modern cars do feature a plethora of peripheral technology that contributes severely to battery life. Think satellite navigation, sophisticated infotainment systems and elaborate sound systems. Even when parked a certain amount of power is required to run sensors to help you lock or unlock the vehicle hands free.
CTEK is one of the global leaders in battery management solutions. The brand has a new product called the CT5 start/stop that keeps the battery fully charged, you can find out more about that here. But the company has also commissioned “The 2018 CTEK Battery Check Survey.” It revealed that 4 million Aussies have had a flat car battery in just the last year. Plus, a staggering $761 million was spent purchasing new batteries.
Other novel and surprising facts include.
- 8 million hours in total were wasted by Australians waiting to resolve a flat car battery in the past 12 months
- More than 80% of Australian motorists have experienced a flat car battery at some stage in their lives
- 1-in-3 Australians have been late to work because of a car battery failure
- 1-in-3 Australian motorists are unaware that car battery health impacts a vehicle’s fuel economy.
But the most interesting finding was that Millennials and Gen X drivers are more likely to have experienced a flat car battery in the past year than Baby Boomers
So what is it with kids today? Is it todays modern car or their lack of understanding when it comes to preserving battery life?
